Preparing for Ethiopia and Donations for the Medical Clinic

Zebene Family and Burke Family

July 2014

There are so many components that go into the international adoption process.  One of the details is finding a guest house to stay at while you're in country.  Kevin and I were so blessed to have connected with the guest house in Ethiopia that Zebene and his family owned and operated.  We took three trips over the course of two years.  Each time there was no question as to where we would stay.  

Having a welcoming place to stay while in Ethiopia was nice, it is the friendship with Zebene, Hiwot, and their family that has been a lasting joy for us.  

Zebene is no longer in the guest house business.  Their family is now pouring their talents, energy, and love into the medical clinic they operate, Fares Medium Clinic.  Hiwot is a doctor that specializes in obstetric care for mothers and babies living in poverty.  

We are so blessed to have friends that care so much for their community.  To say it is inspiring is an understatement.  One of the great pleasures of going to visit them is finding ways to support their clinic and in turn, supporting the people that are served there.  In less than two months we'll be back with our friends in Ethiopia.  We'll also have the opportunity to carry donations and supplies for the clinic.

I've asked Zebene to let us know what items would be useful to the clinic.  I would not want to pretend I know what they need.  Some items are easily accessible in Ethiopia and others are not.  I am thankful for a relationship with Hiwot and Zebene where we can talk about how it is best to support their efforts.     

Kevin, the girls, and I will be taking multiple bags of donations for the clinic.  If you are interested in helping support the Fares Medium Clinic as well please let us know.  We'll be taking donations of the following items...

Vitamins C, D, and B12

Over the counter pain medication

Otoscope

Scrubs

Surgical drapes

Surgical gowns for doctors and nurses

Surgical shoe coverings

Surgical masks

Surgical caps

Surgical gloves

Sanitizer

Medical pen light

Electronic blood pressure cuff

Stethoscope

Pulse oximeter... 3 Donated!

Surgical, medical and obstetric forceps

Electronic fetoscope

Nebulizer machine... Donated!

Urine analyzer

Portable ultrasound machine

Hematology analyzer

If you are interested in contributing any donations please let me know.  

amburke2002@gmail.com

I'll update the list as I acquire various items.  If there are any questions about an item I can get more clarification from Hiwot and Zebene.  

Thank you for making this journey with us!  It is a blessing to know that we're not alone.  

Front view of the Fares Medium Clinic

Recovery - Wheels, Walkers, Canes, and Shoes

 It has been a while since I've written.  

At least since I've written with the intention for others to read.

My recover from that car wreck all the way back in 2019 has been mostly one of silence.  With the legal matters still not resolved I have had to stay mute.  The lawyer advised no posting, writing, or sharing pictures of the recovery process.  

That has been so very hard.  Over the past several years when big events are happening, writing, blogging, and sharing my experience has been a way to process.  In addition, there is a sense of community surrounding it as well.  Others in similar situations can find hope.  I find solidarity in the support of community.  

The legal pieces should come to an end soon.  Soon I will be able to share and write and post and all the things!  

For now...

Today was a milestone day at physical therapy.  I jogged.  I jogged with my own two legs in tennis shoes outside on AstroTurf.  I could feel the muscles of my legs moving one foot in front of the other.  The impact of my shoes on the ground.  The momentum of forward motion as each leg moved in turn.  The push of my toes before each leg came forward for another step.  And another step.  And another step.    

While it wasn't pretty or graceful, it was movement that I have not had for 607 days.  I find myself swimming in gratitude.

My prayer for you today is that you, too, can find something that you are beyond grateful for.  I'd love to hear about it!

Haiti Immersion... Day 9 - Cultural Museum

This morning I woke up early. It was light out, but the sun had not yet crested over the mountains. It was still quiet around St. Joseph's Home. People were not yet stirring. However, the neighborhood was already buzzing. There was not much activity on the rooftops that could be seen. However, below in the streets and homes the voices and noises saturated the air. Roosters crowing, dogs barking, laughter greeting the morning, children talking, clanging of cooking pots. It was the Port-au-Prince Symphony to greet the rising sun.

I stood on the rooftop overlooking the city. Soaking it into my being. The cool breeze blew. My mind listlessly flowed from thought to thought. Did I witness what God intended for me to witness in Haiti this week? How do I even being to truly share this experience? My heart now has the imprint of Haiti, what's next?

Lots of questions.

Again... big questions.

All of our bags were packed and after breakfast we loaded the bus headed for the Haitian cultural museum. As we arrived at the entrance it was a familiar sight, yet different. Three bus loads of Haitian school children had arrived for a field trip. They stood in lines with their crisp uniforms waiting for their tour. Familiar, yet different.

Unfortunately we were unable to take photos inside the museum. I did my best to absorb all of the names, dates and knowledge that our tour guide imparted. However, my mind was quickly overwhelmed. There was so much, so much rich vibrant history. According to our tour guide scientists estimate the fist people inhabiting the island traveled in dugout canoes from South America around 5000 BCE. Toward more modern history there were five kingdoms on the island. As history played out four men rose to be the fathers of modern Haiti.

Ultimately, a story unfolded that included colonization, hundreds of years of slavery, European and North American countries taking advantage of the Haitian people, war, extortion, corruption of the Haitian governments, revolutions, forced Christianization, and poverty.... but also perseverance, bravery, relationships, resilience, rich culture, proud heritage and hope. Haiti exists in the tension of all of these stories. While each one emerges from the past and shapes the present, there is every reason to believe in a bright future for Haiti.

Each Haitian Timoun Foundation partner we met is evidence leading toward hope. Chemen Lavi Miyo is working to bring families up out of ultra poverty. Pazapa and Wings of Hope are changing societies misconceptions of people with disabilities. Trinity School and CEI are finding ways to make education accessible to all families. Tetkole and St. Joseph's Family work to reunite families or create family for children on the street. Haitian Education and Leadership Program is developing leaders, accompanying them through university and equipping them to be Haitians capable of making dramatic, systematic, long term positive change in Haiti.

There is hope. God is at work here. This week I had the privilege and honor to witness a small glimpse of all that the Spirit is moving.


For more info about Haiti's cultural center... www.visithaiti.com

For more info about Haitian Timoun Foundation... www.htflive.org

Haiti Immersion... Day 8 - Chemen Lavi Miyo

Imagine being in a position that you had multiple children and were only able to feed them a little once every two or three days.

Imagine each time the rain clouds built up you prepared for the water to pour through your roof and walls.

Imagine having no source of income to better your situation.

Imagine having no access to health care and being one illness away from dying.

Imagine all of these things wrapped together for generations. Plus, a community that doesn't even see you or count you because you are so unbelievably poor.

This is the plight of the women that Chemen Lavi Miyo seeks to work with.

I wrote more about how CLM operates on an earlier day. Check that out for details.

Today we traveled to visit women at their homes. The bus took us as far as we could go then we hiked on foot out into the hills. The isolation of their homes contributes to their invisibility. We walked a well worn path through the grass, over the hill and down again. In front of us was a tiny home. The walls were wooden slats fixed to a framework. It leaned slightly to the right. Sticks, leaves and plastic formed a roof overhead. The family cooked in an outdoor shelter made of small branches and leaves. We were glad to see remnants of a fire with a cooking pot. Hopefully the family ate today.

This home belongs to Islande Joseph. Last week Islande completed six days if training to begin the CLM program. We were blessed to see the launch for her and her cohort last Friday. She was so gracious and welcomed us to her home with abundant hospitality. Through Steve, the CLM manager, we saw and heard Islande's hopes of raising poultry and goats. With excitement she showed us the log book that will record her weekly encounters with her case manager. Out came the coveted CLM picture ID card as well.

Islande's kitchen

Islande has four children, two teens and two young ones. She, herself, is only in her twenties. The tiny home she lives in is her mother's home. Over ten people share the home. The mother, her younger children, a sister's family and Islande and her family. Extremely close quarters for so many individuals. However, the home was kept impeccably neat. Her beds were made with clean bright white and lavender sheets. Everything had a place.

Islande and her youngest son

An important life lesson.... do not ever assume that poverty can be equated to filth. Islande took great pride in her appearance and the tidiness of her home. We must not attempt to strip people's dignity away with our stereotypes and assumptions.

To contrast the progression of the program, we also visited a woman who graduated the 18 month program this last August. As we approached the home, her husband appeared with a water jug washing his hands. He wanted to clean up in order to shake the hands of each visitor.

Gemin Francois and her husband have four children ages 6, 8, 10 and 13. The oldest three are in school and the youngest will start next year.

Gemin, her husband, and her youngest son

When she launched with the CLM program she began with a couple goats and a pig. Unfortunately, the pig died. However, her goats have reproduced and she currently has 8. Doves also flutter around her yard alongside the chickens and baby chicks. Her husband talked with us about his farming. He was upset with a neighbor for letting a trash fire burn out of control. Part of his field was lost by the fire. It sounded like he grew okra and sugarcane.

The family was so thankful for the CLM program. The husband passionately told us how he used to worry every time it rained because their home was made from sticks and leaves. He did not know if they would stay dry. Since graduating, Gemin has done extremely well with her resources and training. While the family is still very poor, they are at least sustainable.

Chemen Lavi Miyo literally saves the lives of the ultra poor in Haiti.

For more info about Chemen Lavi Miyo... www.fonkoze.org/clm

For more info about Haitian Timoun Foundation... www.htflive.org

CLM Offices

Haiti Immersion... Day 8 - St. Joseph's Family

There are times when you come across people that have meaningful stories to tell. When they tell them well, it reaches depths of your soul that you may not have been aware of. We heard a story such as this on Thursday night.

View from the roof of St. Joseph's Family Guest House

Bill is one of the men raised in St. Joseph's Family. I hesitate to attempt to tell his story here because his poetic words create a piece of art as he speaks. He has also written a book the relays his story. (I will look for a link on where to find or purchase his book). A synopsis though... Bill was born in the Northern portion of Haiti. Through loss and suffering he found himself as a child slave. Though the compassion of local nuns Bill was rescued and taken to be a part of St. Joseph's Family.

St. Joseph's Family saved the lives of dozens of boys that have now grown into men of honor, compassion, dignity and kindness. Many of the men are working at the guest house, Wings of Hope and Trinity School. Maya, who organizes much of the Haitian side of HTF was also raised at St. Joseph's. Each man who grew up there has a unique story to tell.

The long history of hospitality still flows through the rituals of this place. Bill mentioned that, as soon as he arrived at St. Joseph's as a child, he was offered a glass of cold water. This is still a tradition practiced with visitors today. After a dusty bumpy ride from the airport it was comforting and refreshing to receive that small gesture with great meaning behind it.

As the boys grew into men they would sing together, hug one another and support one another through each day. We heard of them sitting together in a circle and affirming one another's gifts. That tradition lives on in HTF immersion trips. Friday morning we sat together sharing words of respect, affirmation and encouragement. These conversations carry great power to spur each if us to recognize pieces of ourselves that others notice.

St. Joseph's Family is making transitions as the individuals have grown, matured into adulthood and many have family's of their own. Their home is now used as a guest house full of hospitality and grace. When you enter that space you feel like family.

For more info about the St. Joseph's Family... www.sjfhaiti.weebly.com

For more info about Haitian Timoun Foundation... www.htflive.org

On the rooftop

Haiti Immersion... Day 8 - Mirebalais

We woke up this morning to the sounds of Mirebalais beginning it's day. The roosters were crowing. The soft meowing of a cat contrasted with the dogs barking back and forth.

The guest house we stayed in was in the midst of a residential area. Outside our window we could look down upon people's homes. The walls were wooden with corrugated tin on top. Leaves were scattered across the roofs from the trees in the area.

On the modest concrete porch sat blue, red and yellow buckets. They were likely used for washing clothes and children. A small child peeked out of the pink cloth that served as the door. They toddle out and the mother came quickly to shoo them back inside. An older brother and sister came back to the house with a bag from the market.

It was a simple little glance outside the window. However what a sweet peek into another world.

For more info about Haitian Timoun Foundation... www.htflive.org

Haiti Immersion... Day 7 - Drive from Jacmel to Port-au-Prince

We are travelling from the Southern coast back to the capitol. The van is racing through the mountains. Windows have to be open because the vehicle can't drive up the mountain and have the air conditioning on at the same time.

We passed a man with a gardening hoe slung over his shoulder. He was walking ahead of a sleek black cow being led with a thick rope around it's neck.

On the side of the road women packed large woven baskets with plantains. They overflowed with leaves poking through the gaps.

Men were hovering around a fire and anvil. One pounded out steel while the other turned a mechanism to stoke the fire.

Motorcycles are zooming past us with a quick beep of their horn. Some drivers are even wearing helmets.

Colorful tap taps pass us filled to the brim. People hang from the sides and are even piled on top.
As we drive through the little towns vendors sell fried meat and plantains. Little markets dot the sides of the road. Mangos, bananas and oranges sit piled neatly in baskets ready for customers.

Sugar cane sticks are bundled together for people to sell.

School kids walk in groups talking and laughing. There uniforms are so tidy and the girl's hair is impeccable. You can tell which children go to school together because each school has a unique style of uniform.

Women and children carry large yellow water jugs down the road to the well. Multiple faucets emerge from the concrete block. It is often painted blue with the logo of the sponsoring organization.
Bright advertisements cover walls of most buildings. All are meticulously painted by hand. There are many talented artists here in Haiti.

So many little houses are scattered across the hills some have wooden sides, others are clad in corrugated metal. Either metal or thatched roofs sit on top of the small structures. Most are brightly painted. Blues, reds, pinks and yellows.

As privileged Americans, we may look upon these everyday pieces of Haitian life with pity. Small houses, walking everywhere, simple existence and lack of security. While on some level there is merit to those thoughts... in all actuality the people of Haiti have much to teach us. They have their own brand of creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, dedication and happiness.

The kingdom of God is here.

For more info about Haitian Timoun Foundation... www.htflive.org

Haiti Immersion... Day 3 - Pictures and Perspective

A few things I feel like I need to say…. it is important to note etiquette when posting pictures during travel such as this. I don't like to take or post pictures of people that I do not have a connection with. At the CLM launch we had a connection with the women entering the program. They knew why these white people were there. At HELP I was able to have personal conversation with Civil Jean, hear his story and ask his permission to share and post. To just snap away pictures of people from afar, to exploit images of poverty lacking background and relationship is a part of poverty tourism. I refuse to be the white person smiling in the middle of a sea of Haitian faces in order to make a viral post on Facebook. I hope you will too.

With that being said, there were some small moments in the second half of our day that melted my heart and helped me look past the issues in Haiti in order to see the people of Haiti.

In the early afternoon we had a few precious moments on the roof of St. Joseph's Home. As I glanced over the railing I noticed two kites flitting in the air. Two children were laughing and playing with their homemade kites on the roof of a building. They made them fly higher and dip down. They would giggle and laugh with each other. Precious, precious joy.

On the road to Jacmel our bus passed a procession. The shiny black vehicle had red and white flowers piled high on the top of it. A sousaphone played at the corner while people in their best clothing poured down the street. It was lovely. The fact that I do not know if it was a wedding or a funeral humbles me. A reminder that there is so much for each of us to learn about other cultures.

As our bus rounded a corner on the mountain pass a motorcycle and its driver and passenger came into view. They were standing beside it taking a selfie. So, the need to express yourself and selfies themselves are international!

While sitting at dinner this evening, beautiful lively joyous music arose from down the street. It got louder and louder until it was outside the courtyard. As we peeked around the corner there was a crowd of dancing Haitians. They danced in two moving circles taking turns hitting sticks together. Trumpets, whistles and drums played and the dancers cheered. A little leftover carnival celebration.

If I say Haiti... and all you think of is poverty, earthquakes, hurricanes and suffering... read this post again. Then read it again, and again to the person closest to you. Yes, all of those issues are here. However, before you see the issues look at the people. Their joy, their hopes, their humanity. Let your heart break for the people and then find ways to accompany Haitian people that are working to improve Haiti.

For more info about Haitian Timoun Foundation... www.htflive.org